Best Compost Bin for a Backyard or Small Garden: Tumbler or Stationary Bin?

Your rake has made three waist-high piles of leaves, and the trees aren't done. For a leafy backyard, pick a big stationary bin. Colorado State University Extension says three feet by three feet by three feet is the minimum size to allow for heating. That is 27 cubic feet, about 200 gallons. A tumbler suits a small garden that makes mostly kitchen scraps: Illinois Extension says a tumbler keeps things tidy and is easy to turn, but dries out faster and gets no helpful microbes from the soil unless you add them.

Quick pick: for a leafy backyard, an open bin of at least 27 cu ft (about 200 gallons). Pests? A closed bin with a locking lid. Kitchen scraps only: a tumbler.

Free calculator: spreading finished compost? Get cubic feet and bags for your beds in our free mulch and soil calculator. No sign-up.

Which compost bin fits your yard

Lots of fall leaves, room for a pile: big open bin — a 246-gallon bin is about 33 cu ft, just over the 27 cu ft minimum.

Food scraps plus yard waste, critters nearby: closed bin with a lid — NC State Extension says a bin helps retain heat and moisture and keep out pests.

Small garden, mostly kitchen scraps: tumbler — a small tumbler holds far less than a 3 × 3 × 3 ft pile (27 cu ft).

Leaves only: skip the bin — shred them and use them as mulch. See how to turn fall leaves into free mulch.

Bin size in gallons and cubic feet:

94 gal closed bin — 12.6 cu ft

202 gal — 27 cu ft, the 3 × 3 × 3 ft minimum

246 gal open bin — 32.9 cu ft

Not a fit: no yard, or a city or HOA rule against outdoor bins.

How to size a compost bin

Measure your leaves: length × width × height. A 6 × 4 × 3 ft pile is 72 cu ft.

Expect shrinkage: NC State Extension says that after about a month a pile may be about half its original volume.

Convert: cubic feet × 7.48 = gallons. 27 cu ft is about 202 gallons.

Plan the mix: NC State and Illinois Extension both suggest about two parts browns (leaves) to one part greens (grass, food scraps).

So 72 cu ft of leaves won't fit a 33 cu ft bin at once. Fill it, then top up as it settles.

How to start a backyard compost bin

Build it to 3 feet. NC State Extension says to build a pile 3 feet high and at least 3 feet across so it holds heat.

Bury food scraps. NC State says to cover food with brown leaves or wood chips.

Keep out meat and dairy. Colorado State says meat, dairy and fatty wastes bring pests like rats and raccoons.

Rodents? NC State suggests enclosing the pile in 1/4-inch hardware cloth.

Be patient. Illinois Extension says compost can take anywhere from 90 days to two years.

Compost bins for a backyard or small garden (#ad)

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Algreen Products Soil Saver Classic Compost Bin — a closed bin with a locking lid and access doors for finished compost, per the maker. For food scraps where pests are a worry. See it on Amazon

VIVOSUN Outdoor Tumbling Composter, Dual Rotating, 43 Gallon — two chambers, so one side finishes while you fill the other; 43 gallons total (about 5.75 cu ft), per the maker. See it on Amazon

Geobin Compost Bin, 246 Gallon, Expandable — an open, expandable bin, per the maker. At about 33 cu ft, it clears the 3 × 3 × 3 ft minimum. See it on Amazon

Compost bin FAQ

What size compost bin do I need? At least 3 × 3 × 3 ft (27 cu ft, about 200 gallons) if you want it to heat up, according to Colorado State University Extension.

Is a tumbler better than a compost bin? For a small garden, it can be. For lots of leaves, a big bin holds more.

Can I compost leaves in a tumbler? Yes, but a tumbler is small for a yard full of leaves.

How long does compost take? Illinois Extension says anywhere from 90 days to two years, depending on the pile and how often it is tended.

What should not go in a backyard compost bin? Meat, dairy and fatty wastes. Colorado State says they bring pests.

Free calculator: compost ready? Get cubic feet and bags for your beds in the free raised bed calculator.

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Sources: Colorado State University Extension, Making Compost; University of Illinois Extension, Put fall leaves to work as compost, October 14, 2020; NC State Extension, Extension Gardener Handbook, 2. Composting.